Williams Communications Awarded
Executives Bonuses to Repay Loans

DALLAS -- Three months before Williams Communications Group Inc. filed for bankruptcy-court protection, five top executives were awarded $13 million in "retention bonuses" to repay company loans.

The board's compensation committee approved the bonuses Jan. 18, which was 11 days before bank creditors said the company may have violated borrowing terms. Under a debt load of nearly $6 billion, Williams Communications filed for...